Six Degrees
by BlackFrost Rose
Summary: Arianna is a Trainer on a jounery in search of a brother she didn't know she had as well as answers to a missing past. Kalos is her final destination as she comes closer to the answers she seeks. But along the way, shadows haunt her and her new friend, Calem, and secrets are uncovered on a three thousand year old tale. Can they figure it out in time? Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1: Beginnings

**AUTHOR'S Note: I do NOT own. This is an idea I had a while ago. The only thing I own is the plot and Arianna.**

I found this old story that I had been working on when the Pokemon X and Y games came out and I thought that I might try to finish it. Please note that I will use my Pokémon-ships for this story and I made the starting age 16. This is also my first fic, and I won't update regularly, maybe once a month at least. There will be light touches of shounen-ai. If you don't like it, then don't read. This fic will also be PG-13 rated, with mentions of death, abuse, and gore, with a few fluffy scenes thrown in.

Pairings:  
Original  
Soulsilver  
Ironwill  
Ferriswheel  
Calem x OC, slight Calem x Serena

Summery: Arianna is a Trainer on a jounery in search of a brother she didn't know she had as well as answers to a missing past. Kalos is her final destination as she comes closer to the answers she seeks. But along the way, shadows haunt her and her new friend, Calem, and secrets are uncovered on a three thousand year old tale. A group called Team Flare keeps poping up, and a mysterious man that crosses their paths one to many times. Can she figure out the mystery of her past or will the shadows swallow her whole?

 **Prologue: Beginnings**

 _Does Fate dictate our actions? Do we control Fate?_

In the small town of Pallet, several figures had gathered to watch a young trainer leave to walk out into the world, leaving behind her family and friends. Though this young one was three years younger than the starting age, she was high above even those six years her senior. None was more proud than her older brother. A man of few words and even fewer expressions, Red was a Pokémon Master that was barely out of his twenties. Raven black hair framed his bright crimson eyes under the brim of the red and white hat that he wore from the very beginning. His old outfit of a red and white button up with a black t-shirt underneath was replaced with a red hooded jacket with black sleeves and a steel grey turtle neck. The Master still wore jeans and sneakers, never one to really grow out of them. His counterpart was grinning from ear to ear as he hugged the young girl to death. Blue had really grown in the years since he had known him, spikey chocolate hair was still untamable though. As the years passed by, his once hardened eyes had taken on a much softer glow to them, making them take on a rich, Earth brown color. Gone was his jean jacket of a forest green, replaced with a lab coat and a navy blue V-neck, cargo pants had become wash-wore jeans, though he still kept the boots.

"Promise me that you'll stay in contact," The brunette looked down at the young female that he had helped raised for the past seven years. It felt like he was more of a parent than an adoptive brother, since he was the one who had to take her into town mostly when she outgrew her clothes or needed more books to read in order to keep up her studies. He wondered if his parents were still alive if they would have felt the same way that he was letting his little sister out into the world. "And make sure to make friends."

"I promise, Blue. And you keep an eye out on Red. He'll probably get lonesome without me there," a green-haired girl chuckled at the slight glare she was receiving from said man. That caused the Gym Leader to chuckle as well as he pulled the shorter male into a group hug. Crimson eyes went wide for a split second before he wrapped his arms around some of the few people that he would call family. "I'll miss you guys."

"If you see that stubborn jerk of a redhead, say high for me," A brunette woman joined in on the hug. She was the Kanto League Champion and a close friend of the trio, especially after the incident three years ago. Kotone had grown up to be a fine young woman and an even tougher Trainer. She still wore her hair in pigtails, but forgone the hat, instead a pale pink ribbon held her bangs out of her hazel eyes. Overalls had been traded for a long-sleeve pale blue shirt with a crocheted parka of a dark lavender with a long black skirt that was a little shorter on her left side with knee high boots that zipped up the sides.

"I can't make any promises, but I will try," the teen said once everyone had pulled apart. The three adults couldn't believe that it was happening so soon. Not too long ago, she was a kid, hiding behind Red most of the time. Now she stood before them neither as a child or a woman, but somewhere in the middle. Once she came back, it would be as a full grown adult.

"Know that we couldn't be anymore prouder of you than we are right now." Blue could feel tears welling up in his eyes as he watched his baby girl head out. Something warm grabbed his right, interlocking their fingers with his and squeezing gently. Looking down, he saw that the hand belonged to none other than his best friend and former rival, Red. The gesture wasn't lost on him. "We'll wait, together." The taller nodded as they all watched the young girl get on the back of her Charizard. Blue squeezed back, "Yeah."

 _Or is it something else? What sets things in motion?_

 _Three years later…_

The pitter-patter of rain matched the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the room as the only occupant stared out the nearest window to his bed. There was no light to see by, but one could make out the grey shadows of things strewn across the floor. Broken frames that had several cracks in the center. Paper and a number of writing utensils littered the area around the desk. Clothes were thrown everywhere with numerous textbooks and journals on top of them. The only clean place was on the bed but that was because its inhabitant had yet to move from the position he had landed in after a fit of anger and grief, on his stomach with his face towards the window.

Honey brown eyes, puffy and blood shot, watched as the rain poured down. The weather outside matched how he was feeling on the inside.

"Calem, your friends are here," his mother stood outside his door. He knew she wouldn't open the door, not after what happened when he threw the first fit and destroyed a glass he was holding. The boy didn't know where all the rage was coming from, it was never like that before…

"Go away," his reply was muffled by the door but he knew that she heard, because the sound of shuffling feet could be heard as she made her way back down to tell the others the same thing she had been telling them since it all happened.

"Sorry, kids. He still won't come out," Grace gave the three children sad smile as she delivered the same line since a month ago. Their faces fell, more on the young orange haired boy, Trevor. Those three looked up to her son as a sort of big brother when they first moved in, their neighbor's daughter acting like the big sister, as both became assistants to the professor.

"It's okay, Miss Grace. We understand." Shauna was the one who was the closest to the older girl, those two were thick as thieves. Strawberry blond and crystalline blue meshed with coco brown and olive green, healthy peach against sun kissed bronze, those two were different as they could come yet the best of friends, sisters in everything but blood. Trevor and the other boy, Tierno, looked up to her son just as much Shauna did Serena, Trevor more so. "We miss her to. But my mother said that Serena would want us to be happy."

"Would you kids like some hot chocolate? I just got a new blend from my nephew in Johto. I haven't tried it yet, but now seems like a good time." Three heads nodded as they followed her into the kitchen like little duckletts after their mother.

As Grace was fixing the warm beverage for the children, back in her son's room, he was fast asleep. Dreaming of a much happier time.

 ** _Calem was laying underneath the shade of a large oak tree as a small summer breeze floated by, making the vivid green leaves rustle. He was dressed in his favorite blue jacket, cargo pants the same color as the bark on the tree and red hiking boots. His red cap was on top of his black messenger bag. A soft smile touched his lips as he folded his hands behind his head._**

 ** _"_** ** _Sleeping the day away again, Cal?" A familiar female voice asked from above him. Opening honey-brown eyes, the raven looked up at the speaker. Crystalline blue, the color of the ocean when the sun shone directly on the calm surface looked back at him. Blonde hair fell loosely on to her shoulder as the girl leaned over him. In her favorite dress with a red skirt and back no-sleeve top, Serena looked prettier each day he saw her. Well, she once did._**

 ** _"_** ** _Go away, Serena. "_**

 ** _"_** ** _No. You've spent too much time already mopping about," the blonde reached down to grab him by the elbow, pulling him into a sitting position. Her face was scrunched up from her efforts to make him sit up. "Life doesn't end because I left. No, it continues on." With one final tug, she had him up on his own two feet. Though they were about the same height, the raven seemed to tower over her by several inches. It went to show that much had changed since he had last seen his friend. As if to prove a point, she began pushing the boy out from the shade of the tree and into the bright afternoon sun. "Go, she's waiting for you. They all are."_**

Bright sunlight filtered in from the uncovered window. The rain had long since let up, allowing the last light of the afternoon sun be seen before night fell on the town. The last remnants of the dream came back to him as he pushed himself up to open his window. A yellow glow engulfed the town as the deep crimson of the setting sun created a vast array of red and oranges in the sky. Pastel pinks and purples painted the clouds. Flying Pokémon littered the sky in small flocks, making their way home for the night. Off in the distance, a rainbow was fading out, but it was still there, framing the sunset with what little strength it had left.

Leaning out, he could smell the faint scent of the lingering rain as a cool light wind ruffled his messy hair. Movement down below caught his eye. Shauna was talking with his mother while Trevor and Tierno smiled at the former racer. "They're waiting for me, uh?" Resting his head on folded arms, Calem watched as the four looked up to see him looking down on them. Several faces lit up, mostly from Tierno and Shauna, while Trevor waved at him. His mother, Grace, had tears in her eyes as she placed a hand over her mouth in surprise. "Guess I can't keep them waiting anymore."

 _It all comes back to Six Degrees of Separation._

 ** _Chapter End_**

 **Please Review! Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2: Letters and Meetings

**AUTHOR'S Note: I do NOT own. All I own is the plot and Arianna.**

I found this old story that I had been working on when the Pokemon X and Y games came out and I thought that I might try to finish it. Please note that I will use my Pokémon-ships for this story and I made the starting age 16. This is also my first fic, and I won't update regularly, maybe once a month at least. There will be light touches of shounen-ai. If you don't like it, then don't read. This fic will also be PG-13 rated, with mentions of death, abuse, and gore, with a few fluffy scenes thrown in.

Pairings:  
Original  
Soulsilver  
Ironwill  
Ferriswheel  
Calem x OC, slight Calem x Serena

Summery: Arianna is a Trainer on a jounery in search of a brother she didn't know she had as well as answers to a missing past. Kalos is her final destination as she comes closer to the answers she seeks. But along the way, shadows haunt her and her new friend, Calem, and secrets are uncovered on a three thousand year old tale. A group called Team Flare keeps poping up, and a mysterious man that crosses their paths one to many times. Can she figure out the mystery of her past or will the shadows swallow her whole?

 **Chapter 1: Letters and Meetings**

A proud Charizard landed very powerfully in front of the gates to the Kalos region's most famous Pokémon researcher, Professor Sycamore. A teen around sixteen jumped off of his back straitening her sky blue messenger bag and the light grey jacket around her waist. Once that was done, she tightened her tea green hair at the top of her head that looked like a mild version of bed head. Bluish grey eyes took in the sight of the laboratory. Her long sleeve white V-neck t-shirt had the sleeve rolled up part way, though her jeans were dark blue and tucked into her black hiking boots. Her dog tag was hanging around her neck, the only proof that she had a life before she was found by her brother up on top of the snowy mountain, making a small clinking noise as she fixed her appearance. The leather bracelet that she got for her tenth birthday was fastened around her left wrist by the snap buttons with a small circle in the middle. This was the place, her brother Red told her that the professor here might have some clues as to where she might find a certain person. In Unova, she had come very close, learning that she might have another brother, one that might be biologically related to her. And it didn't help that she was also mistaken for said person, a man by the name of N, from what the woman White said. That was the closest that she had come finding out about the man that she looked so much alike. It was a start at least. There were reports of sightings of him traveling with a redhead man and the professor of Kalos would lend her his assistance, according to her other brother, Blue.

'Ari? 'The dragon-like Pokémon asked her, nudging her with his head. He had been with his trainer ever since he was first hatched on the snowy mountain top of Mt. Silver. He trained with her, played with her, slept next to her, even as he evolved and became strong enough to protect her. He took pride in that fact, and wouldn't give it up for anything. Even to the brown puffball that was poking her head out of 'his' trainer's bag.

"I'll be fine. I promise." She smiled up at the Fire-type as she petted his nose with one hand and pulled out his poke ball. It was one of those with a blue seal ball around it with fire stickers on it. It was a gift from another trainer that she had met in the Sinnoh region, by the name of Hikari. She and her fiancé were very kind to her, letting her stay with them on Steel Island while she asked around about a man that looked similar to her. It was nice of them, plus she learned a little about Aura from the man and about his Lucario partner. "I wonder what this professor is like. I hope not like Grandpa Oak," she joked as she turned her gaze to the Charizard one last time before she let him get a well-deserved rest. "Sleep well, Kai."

Once he was back into his ball, the girl pulled out the Eevee that was in her bag, setting her on her shoulder as she walked into the professor's workplace, nearly running into a boy about her age with straight black hair that had one bang over his left eye wearing a blue jacket with white trimming and a black messenger bag and jeans that were a dark grey and red boots similar to the ones that she wore. Honey brown widened as they met blue-grey as he spun to miss her. Though it didn't help that she still fell from the near collision with the boy. The furry Pokémon was none too pleased to be dislodged from her favorite riding spot.

"Sorry," the other held out his hand to help her up. The green-haired girl could only stare at him as she tried to process what his Pokémon were saying. It was a strange power that she had ever since she could remember, and at times it could get her in trouble.

"Your Pokémon, they sound really excited," once her brain caught up with what was happening, she was able to put her thoughts in order. Giving the other a soft smile, she allowed herself to be pulled up. "You must be a good trainer. I'm Arianna, from Kanto."

The raven blushed slightly at the smile though he gave her one of his own. "I'm Calem, one of the professor's assistants. Nice to meet you…" It was then that he noticed that he still held her hand in his, making his blush deepen as he let go of her hand. And he could have sworn that the Pokémon at her side had smirked at him.

The girl, Arianna, nodded her head as she looked behind him. "Is the professor in?" She sounded hopeful. This was after all one of the world's greatest Pokémon researchers, so a lot of aspiring trainers wanted to meet him. Arianna had a different reason though.

"He is, but he is busy at the moment. Near half of Lumious is in a black out, and no one seems to know why. Even the gym leader is panicking." Calem scratched the back of his head as he eyed the girl one more time. He didn't understand what she meant when she said that his Pokémon were excited. Could she really hear the voices of the Pokémon?

"I see…"the female trainer sounded disappointed, allowing her eyes to lower to the ground as she gripped her bag in her hand tightly. This was the only chance that she might have if she wanted to find N quickly, because she was really excited to meet the one that might be able to tell her more about her family. The Eevee at her feet rubbed against her legs in order to comfort her trainer. 'It will be alright. Just ask the boy to let you in.'

"I don't know. If he's busy then I don't want to disturb him." She picked up the brown fur ball in her arms as she looked at the boy in the eye once more. "Is it alright? If I see him?"

"I don't see why not. I'm sure that he would prefer a distraction from all the chaos in the lab." Moving out of her way, he bowed slightly as he motioned for her to go ahead of him. She smiled at him once more as she giggled slightly. It was the first time someone did that for her. It was…nice. She moved to stand beside him as her blue-grey eyes looked into the building.

"Would you mind guiding me? I'm not used to large buildings like this one."

That caused the raven to tilt his head slightly. Why would she have a hard time in a lab? It was like any normal building, save for the fact that it was full of lab equipment and many researchers. But he just shrugged his shoulders as she led her inside. She was defiantly different than most people, but it was a good different. Calem watched from the corner of his eye, at the sheepish look the green haired Trainer had on her face as she took in all of the other lab assistants running about. Since half of the city was in a blackout, the lab was on several of the backup generators in order to conserve power. The professor was on the top floor, which was where the raven left the man before he ran into Arianna.

In the past three years that she's left her home on Mt. Silver, big cities always scared her. The freedom of the wild, the warm cozy room in the cave. Those were the things that she had grown used to. Red didn't like most people, save for Blue. He was one who liked his solitude, free from the noise of the cityscape of modern living. Arianna had been to Viridian on the few occasions that Blue had taken her. Though when he took her to visit his grandfather, the big city was much larger than Viridian. The vast expanse of the place frightened her, same as today. She was like Red that way, though she had learned to control her fear, not letting it guide her actions as it had at Saffron. Her gaze washed over all the people in a frantic rush about the laboratory. As they neared the elevator, she repositioned her Eevee back onto her shoulder in order to grip the strap of her bag. ''

Blue-grey eyes scanned the chaotic scene one last time before the elevator doors opened to let them on. Her nervousness always made her a little jumpy in cities. Blue told her once that it's because she developed a slight fear of enclosed spaces, claustrophobia he called it. She was fine if there was someone with her, a person she knew, to help calm her. Arianna let Calem get on first, following behind him. Though they only met that day, he was in a sense a person she knew, but not by much. Her Pokémon companion noticed her nervousness, 'It will be alright, Ari.' The brown Pokémon nuzzled the girl's cheek to offer her some comfort as they reached the second floor.

Once the doors opened for the second time, Arianna was greeted with the sight of a familiar head of red hair.

"Silver!" The shout caught the man off guard as he turned to face the annoying person who let loose the shout. Silver-grey narrowed onto blue-grey as a scowl appeared on his face. The redhead, Silver, had last seen the girl seven odd years ago. Shy and weary of people, he remembered her hiding behind the Kanto Pokémon Master. Now she stood before him, a near full grown woman with the same look in her eyes as a certain brunette Trainer that he knew.

Arianna couldn't believe her eyes, the man before her was indeed Silver. No longer the boy she saw up on the mountain, eyes the color of hardened steel. In his eyes there was life, making them look more like a storm grey. He had changed over the past years, standing before her in a stance that radiated confidence and strength, with a grace honed in the time between then and now. Dressed in a long black trench coat over a deep purple shirt with strange red markings on the front with light grey pants with two pockets on each side tucked into calf high combat boots of a dark brown. His hair was a lot longer than she remembered, tossed over his shoulder in a loose ponytail.

"What are you doing here, brat?"

"Brother sent me. He heard that someone who looked like me was spotted in this region."

"Red? He let you go?"

"After Blue talked to him. And Kotone." At the mention of the Kanto League Champion, the redhead flinched. Arianna could see the regret in his eyes. He left some years ago to 'train'. But she and her brothers knew the truth. Silver couldn't face the Champion because he felt that he didn't deserve her affections.

"Are you Arianna, the girl that Professor Oak said to be on the lookout for?" A man dressed in a lab coat with semi-tamed raven hair. He looked between the older Trainer and the girl, noticing the Eevee on her shoulder.

"I am. You must be Professor Sycamore. Here, a letter." Arianna reached into her messenger bag to pull out a battered envelope. There were rips and tares with small dirt smudges all over. It had seen better days. "Sorry, some younger Pokémon in the Unova Pokémon Reservation had gotten ahold of the letter when I showed that to the Professor and the founder."

"I've heard about that place. The former Champion, the one they call the 'Hero of Truth', built that place out of her own pocket." Calem looked over at the foreigner, surprised that she had been able to meet such a powerful person like that.

The green-haired girl nodded. "White built it as a sort of compromise. She told me that she wanted both her dreams and N's to be realized. The Reservation was the fruit of those dreams." She also remembered the soft smile the older woman gave when she talked about N. It was full of sadness, with hints of heartbreak. Arianna didn't have to ask. She knew that the Hero was in love with her counterpart, same as the Kanto Champion. She just didn't understand. Why were those men so stubborn to see what was right in front of them? Then again her own brothers were no different, always trying to act indifferent towards each other when clearly they had feelings for one another.

"It also acts as a nursery to orphaned Pokémon," Professor Sycamore walked over to retrieve the letter. He was curious about the girl, since she was able to meet so many strong Trainers, even be raised by one of the very few Pokémon Masters in the world.

'Ari,' the Eevee motioned to where several stones sat on one of the tables near a desk. The Trainer looked to where the furry creature had nodded to. They were odd little stones with a strange markings in the middle. 'What are those?'

"I have no idea. They don't look like normal evolutionary stones, or any stone for that matter." Blue-grey eyes inspected the round objects, curiosity had gotten the better of her.

'That one smells like Fire-brains,' the Eevee snickered at her favorite nickname for the Charizard, who was currently locked away in his Pokéball. She enjoyed teasing the larger Pokémon, it was in her nature. And his prideful one would always come back with a quick-wit response before he would give chase and try to roast his tormentor. Though they both received a scolding if it got too out of hand.

"Seraph!" On cue, her human scolded the Eevee, unaware that she had an audience to the one- sided conversation.

"You can understand what that Pokémon is saying?" Calem felt his eyes go wide as he thought back to when they first met. Arianna had said that his companions were excited, but he just passed it off as something else, like a keen observation. Not as in her actually hearing their voices.

"Is that bad?" The girl looked away from the stones, her eyes honing in on a spot on the floor. There were times back in Kanto that her gift had gotten into some trouble. People treated her weirdly, looking at her like some freak. It hurt when they called her names, even if she was with one of her siblings. Unova was much worse, with people mistaking her for her look-alike and not one form of comfort from familiar people. Was this going to be like last time?

"Bad? Brat, you still have a long way to go in growing up," Silver folded his arms over his chest, smirking at the girl. In all of his travels, he had seen many things. A girl who calmed three very angry Pokémon with just a song? A boy who could walk up to wild ones and not get himself hurt? Those were some of the more stranger. Why should a person hearing the inner voices of Pokémon be any different? In fact, he was traveling with another who had a similar ability, but he kept his face hidden behind a hood.

Wide eyes looked into his, shock on her face as it gained a nice red color. "I am not a brat."

Suddenly laughter could be heard from the professor. He was looking at the letter as he was holding his left side with his free right arm. All eyes turned to him as he let loose another laugh. Worried for the man, his young assistant walked over to him to read the letter. Calem was interested in seeing what the letter had said that made some like Sycamore laugh like that. Silver followed the boy, curious as well. The researcher handed the letter over to the older Trainer, watching as the other's face became a scowl.

On the paper were four lines, "To the professor in charge, take care of Arianna. If Silver is there, pass her off to him. Red." Calem read the words out loud, looking between the laughing man and the redhead beside him. "I don't understand," It was like he was hit with a Confusion attack, trying to sort out what the words meant, "Why are you laughing, Professor?"

"Because Silver here is a loner-type of person. The fact that Red is giving him a babysitting job is the worst thing he can do. And because Arianna is a very important person to him makes it twice as worse." He explained once his fit had subsided. He could see the reason behind the actions, but he hoped that the other hadn't.

"I am not babysitting the brat. No way." Oh the look of pain that made the other's face in to a grimace nearly caused the raven Professor to double over in laughter again.

"I am not a brat!" Blue-grey eyes narrowed at the word. Arianna may have been raised differently, but was in no way a brat. She repeated the sentence again as she huffed slightly. Seraph snickered at the sight of the girl acting like a child while deigning the fact that she was.

Arianna didn't know it, but inside Silver was cursing her so called brother. The man may not have many facial expressions, but he was an expert strategist and trap master. And he had fallen into one of the worst ones. He wasn't very good with people, Arianna fitting into that category. She may not be the same as when he first met her, but he could tell that she was just like a certain brunette trainer, the one person that he wanted to avoid at the moment.

"If you can win four badges, then I'll quit." He gave her his signature smirk as the thought came to mind. If she proved competent enough to travel in this unknown region and gain a team that could match her strength, then he would travel with the green-haired girl.

"You mean Gym Badges? But…" She looked at her Eevee, uncertainty in those bright blue-grey eyes. She had fought before, with her brother and several of the others, but never like that. 'Do it,' the brown Pokémon urged her Trainer. 'It will do you some good.'

"I don't know," She turned her gaze back to the professor and his assistant. "Can I think on it?"

"Sure. In the meantime, why don't you and Calem visit his home? He could use the break." The professor nodded to the boy who looked at him with a painful expression. Sycamore knew the reason behind it, it pained to see it on such a young soul as the raven. But he hopped that the new arrival would be able to at least lift his spirits somewhat. He had been buried in his work for the past two months, a change from the month before. But not the kind of change he wanted.

"I don't want to intrude…"

"No, I'm sure Grace won't mind."

"Then I would love to." A bright smile from the girl seemed to bring one to each of the three males. It was a warm feeling that reached each of them as they saw the pure joy on the Kanto Trainer's face.

"Good. I'll see you in a few weeks. You can borrow one of the flying-types and leave today." The older raven nodded to them both as he walked over to a shelf filled with Pokéballs of various colors. Picking up a white one with a red line running in the middle. He passed it off to Calem, who sighed when he received the ball from the man.

"I'll be in Coumarine for a little while. So if you want to look for me, check there." Silver waved slightly as he made his way back to the elevator. He knew that Arianna would take up his challenge. Red hadn't raised her any other way.

"Before I forget, would you like to take one of the Mega-stones with you?" At the confused look from the girl, the Pokémon researcher nodded to the table that the girl was still standing by. Seraph jumped down from her perch to pick up the stone that smelled much like Kai, handing it over to the girl. "Those stones have the ability to further evolve Pokémon for a short period of time. Though we have yet to understand why? Or how those stones work with certain Pokémon and not others. They are a fairly new discovery. I'm hoping to find the reasons behind Mega-Evolution."

"That sound really cool. I would love to help." Gripping the stone in her hands, bringing it to her chest over her heart, she could feel a warmth coming from the smooth rock. She could feel the strange energy that was enclosed in the thing. The power matched her starter in all but temperament. "But how can I get Kai to hold this without him dropping it."

"I could show you." Calem made his way over to the girl after putting the bird-Pokémon on his ball holder on his belt. "Many of the professor's assistants use a local jewelry maker to fashion something for them."

"Thanks." Arianna let herself be guided by the male Trainer. She didn't know why, but she felt like she could trust him. The feeling was just like when she was with her brothers, though the warmth was a little different than that.

The professor watched as the two teens made their way to the elevator, watching as the green-haired Arianna made small talk with the raven-haired Calm. It gave him a heartfelt joy to see the boy open up to such a bright young girl. After what happened to Serena, the researcher worried about his youngest protégé becoming withdrawn and antisocial. Yet that wasn't the case, not with the new arrival.

"Serena, why did you have to leave us so soon?" Deep chocolate eyes looked over to where a photo sat on his desk, several years old now. It showed him with two fresh-faced kids, a blonde girl and a raven boy, each holding onto their starters, a Froakie in the arms of the blonde looking just as happy as its new Trainer while a Fennekin perched on the boy's shoulder. The professor had his arms around them both, holding up a peace sign on each hand. All of them had been grinning full, teeth showing grins as the laboratory acted as a backdrop to the trio with a clear blue sky watching over all. That had been one of the greatest memories each of them shared. It felt like a lifetime ago, while only two years had passed since the picture was taken, and three months since… Serena left. "We miss you so much. Calem took the hardest out of all of us." He glanced back at where the Kanto girl had been standing, the way her eyes held a tiny bit of fire in them, how she held the Mega-stone in her hands. The mannerism were similar even if the person was completely different. "I wish you the best of luck…Arianna."

 ** _Chapter End_**

 **Please Review! Let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3: Painful Memories

**AUTHOR'S Note: I do NOT own. This is an idea I had a while ago. The only thing I own is the plot and Arianna.**

I found this old story that I had been working on when the Pokemon X and Y games came out and I thought that I might try to finish it. Please note that I will use my Pokémon-ships for this story and I made the starting age 16. This is also my first fic, and I won't update regularly, maybe once a month at least. There will be light touches of shounen-ai. If you don't like it, then don't read. This fic will also be PG-13 rated, with mentions of death, abuse, and gore, with a few fluffy scenes thrown in.

Parinings: Calem x OC, slight Calem x Serena, Red x Blue(Male), Riley x Hikari/Dawn, White X N, Kotone/Lyra x Silver.

 **Chapter 2: Painful Memories**

Arianna loved mornings. The sounds of the early risers while the sun slowly crawled across the sky, painted the clouds all kinds of colors. She really loved seeing it from the top of Mt. Silver, the way the snow reflected the sunrise like a hazy mirror. It was really breathtaking. Not to say that the view from the ranch in Vaniville wasn't beautiful, but it wasn't home.

For the past five days, the green-haired teen woke up before her hosts, got dressed in the borrowed grey sweater that hung loosely off her shoulders and a light orange work suit that she rolled the pant legs up just slightly in order to fit better. If she was lucky, she could hide the burn scars that littered her back since before she could remember. Red had explained it to her that he had found her on the back of a dragon, covered in soot and burns, nearly half of her upper back was bright red from where flame had touched her skin. Once the wounds had healed, the scar looked like a jagged wing had been etched on, part of it running across her shoulders and slightly curving down as it got closer to her right hip. The scar made her wonder why she chose a Fire-type as her first companion. Fire had taken her memories, left her with nothing to which she could call her own, yet…

Shaking her head of depressing thoughts, Arianna got ready for the new day. Taking a quick look outside showed that the sun was just about to break across the horizon, meaning that she had about an hour before Grace was up and two more before Calem.

Grace was real nice, the Kanto Trainer couldn't find fault with the woman. She treated her Pokémon with great care and respect, even when dealing with the youngest of the small heard. She was also a good cook, making dishes from all the places that she traveled to, even letting Arianna help. It was nice to be accepted by the former racer, even after Calem explained to his mother about her abilities. She just smiled and gave the younger female a one armed hug. " _Arceus blesses people in different ways. You just happened to get a little extra._ " After that, her abilities were never mentioned again. In stead they talked about all the kinds of trouble her son had gotten into when he was younger. The boy had some really funny stories from before they moved to Kalos.

'Wanna check out the herd, again,' Seraph stretched from her position on the bed, watching as the girl pulled her hair into its normal high tail.

"Sure, I wanna check on Jamie," Blue grey eyes looked out the window again as she grabbed her boots. Jamie was one of the older Pokémon that acted as the matriarch of the Rhyhorn herd. Yesterday something seemed wrong with the rock-type, so Arianna was asked to help out. The poor thing had a fever and wasn't eating at all. It worried the green-haired girl to see a Pokémon in pain like that. The ranch hands didn't know what to do, until Grace asked Arianna to help. She was able to figure out that the Rhyhorn had eaten a really ripe berry that had yet to mature and that was what caused the illness. And she wanted to see if she was feeling any better.

Seraph hopped onto her favorite spot once the girl had her boots on. It was in the pre-dawn of the day, so they would have the barn mostly to themselves, save for the foreman and Duke, the 'guard Pokémon' of the house. He was apparently from one of Jamie's older litters and Grace's prized winner. He had a small house and everything in the front of the two story ranch house. Duke was also named by Calem when he was younger and had taken a shine to the foreigner the moment they landed in the front yard.

He met her at the entrance to the front porch, letting loose a happy noise to see her up and about. She allowed a small smile to appear on her face as she pulled out a treat from her pocket, knowing that it was what the racer wanted. Giving him a few pats on the head, she gave a low whistle. The sound of flapping wings reached her ears as Kai flew down from whatever perch he found during the night.

'Good morning, Ari,' he purred as he landed. He made sure to miss the Spikes Pokémon after that first morning and nearly became part of the scenery because he had landed on the other male. His Trainer had thought that it was funny, same as the brown fur ball that hadn't let up for days on his mistake. Around his neck, in a choker like necklace, was the Mega-stone that the professor gave Arianna. The materials were a silver-iron mixture that created a 'v' in the front, which was where the stone was set. Painted gold flames gave it a more personalized feeling as they circled and wove themselves around the choker. Kai was very proud of his gift, showing it off to any Pokémon that would listen, and to the occasional human who complemented on it. He treated it as a treasure, given to him by his precious human.

"Good morning, Kai. Sleep well," the human handed the Charizard a treat before moving towards where the barn was, both Pokémon following her to the large, bright red barn behind the house. The morning air held a slight crispness that signaled the changing of the seasons. Fall was just around the corner.

"Hey there, Doc. Come to check up on your patient?" Marcus was the foreman and Grace's trainer from her racing days. An older gentleman with long salt and pepper hair that he kept in a braid framed a weathered face tanned from years of working outside. Lines encircled rich emerald eyes as they smiled at the young Trainer. Wearing a loose jean button down over a white t-shirt and worn work jeans with work boots. Ever since the day before, the rancher had taken to calling her Doc after she diagnosed the cause of Jamie's sickness. She didn't mind it, it was a lot different from the harsher ones most people would call her. "She slept through most of the night, her fever broke around midnight."

He met the group at the entrance, holding steaming mugs of hot chocolate. No one in the house ever drank coffee, which she was grateful for. Blue loved his coffee, black without any cream or sugar. It tasted bitter to her, even with the extras added. Red liked tea, which was still bitter to her but it was drinkable. The hot chocolate was the perfect medium between the two.

"That's good. I'm glad that I was able to help," she accepted the mug from the man, a soft smile appearing on her face.

"Help? You were a miracle," he gave her a larger grin as he led her inside the enormous building that was the barn. In all of his days, he never saw a person without much training diagnose an illness so quickly and administer a cure like someone in the medical profession. It amazed it beyond words and he took it on faith when his younger sister figure said that she had a gift with Pokémon. He didn't ask and didn't want to look a gift Ponyta In the mouth. "Jamie will probably want to say thank you once she wakes up." They stopped in front of an enclosed pen that held the sick Rock-type, most of the floor covered in hay. She was awake and moving slightly, looking much better than the other day. "Hey girl."

'Hungry,' was the first word she said in a weak voice that only Arianna could hear. Stepping into the pen, both humans looked the Rhyhorn over. "It figures you would be. You couldn't hold down anything." The green-haired Trainer chuckled as the matriarch began to sniff around her pockets for the treats she had for the others. It warmed her heart to see her back to normal.

"Soft foods for you, old girl. We need to make sure that you don't get sick again." Marcus gave a hearty laugh at the duo. The Eevee jumped down when the girl was knocked over from the nudging. Blue-grey eyes held a bit of laughter in them as well as she petted the old racer.

'Food,' Jamie looked over at the foreman as he left to fix a breakfast for her. That left Arianna alone with the Pokémon. She stayed on the hay covered floor, Seraph climbing into her lap and the others creating a circle around her. Jamie stayed in front of her, laying her head on the ground to give the human better access to her head. Kai went behind her, encircling her back and placing his head on her shoulders. Duke had stayed near his mother, moving to lay next to her. It was one of those picturesque moments, with the light of the now breaking dawn filtering through the window into the barn. The sight was something else.

"I'm really glad that you're feeling better," Arianna closed her eyes as she remembered the times that her powers had gotten her into trouble. No one seemed to understand that she wasn't lying when she said something that seemed out of place. Or when she talked to Pokémon as if they could actually hold a conversation. It hurt when people called her freak and abomination, even worse when stones and other objects were thrown at her. In Sinnoh, it was a little different. Riley explained that it was because people were used to seeing him use his Aura and had taken it to mean that she was like him, able to hone the natural energies found in all things. Unova wasn't any better than her home. People passed judgment before they even tried to know her, thinking that she was like her look alike. Those looks were a lot worse. She didn't get it. Why did people hate her so much? Why was she so different? She voiced this out loud to her companions. "I glad that I was able to help." She let tears fall down that she had no idea she was holding back.

'You help all the time, Ari. Humans just don't know special you are,' the Eevee nuzzled her human in the stomach, letting loose a comforting noise. 'Though these ones seem to notice.'

'Hey! I was going to say that!' Kai lifted his head to glare at the puffball of a Pokémon.

'But I said it first, Smoke-breath!' Seraph stuck her tongue out at the starter.

"You guys," their Trainer giggled at their antics. She was glad that Kalos was different than Unova. But just because a few people were nice to her didn't mean much. She was glad that these people treated no different than they would've treated Calem. Especially after what happened to Jamie. Instead of giving her weird looks, expressions of admiration and gratefulness were shown as many of the younger workers came up to ask her a bunch of questions about her travels. "Please save your fighting for when I'm not in the middle, literally."

"You mind if we join you?" All eyes turned to see who had come in to the pen when they were absorbed in their small world. Marcus was in the forefront of the group, Grace and Calem right behind them, each one carrying a bucket full of food for the larger Pokémon. Though Grace was carrying a basket under one arm, most likely for the four humans.

"Did you hear?" Arianna blushed a deep red that rivaled her Fire-type's tail flame. She didn't think that the others had heard, at least what would look like a one-sided conversation.

"We won't ask. It's your story to tell." The former racer came over to the four Pokémon that surrounded the green-haired girl, placing one of the buckets in front of the recovering Rhyhorn. Inside it was a mushy mix of what smelled like a mix of apples, Oran and strawberries. It would do Jamie good and help her recover her strength. "Though it explains some things about your behavior."

"Doc has been a great help. Anyone who says otherwise is an ignoramus, and will have to deal with me," Marcus placed his pail in front of Kai, who began digging in, then began flexing his arms to show his strength.

"Get in line, old man. I'm sure her brothers and several others would come before you. Including myself," the brunette laughed at his show of toughness. Calem did as well. Marcus took it all in good stride as Grace and her son laughed at his attempt at looking cool in front of the young girl.

"Since none of them are here, you all can have first dibs." Blue-grey eyes looked at each of them to see that they really did mean it. It made her feel all fuzzy to see the acceptance from the others. It was nice.

"Then I'll kindly take you up on that offer." Grace sat down on the floor as the Pokémon began to dig into their food. Pulling out covered bowls, the former racer passed them out to the humans who began to enlarge the small circle that began with just the green haired girl. "It just oatmeal for right now. We'll cook something when the others get here."

"I'll lend you a hand," Arianna took her bowl and a spoon from the older woman, smiling when she received it. She knew that the others would ask her questions that she wasn't ready to answer. Grace was right when she said that it was her story to tell. But she couldn't, not yet. She didn't want the others to know about her own insecurities.

"You know," the brunette watched as the others began to eat, "Things have changed greatly since I first began my journey twenty odd years ago."

Arianna looked at the older woman, "You mean before the Magnus Treaty, right?" She heard about the treaty a little from Blue. It had to do with the Kanto Wars, explaining new rules and regulations for all Trainers.

"That's right. Back then, once a kid reached ten, they could begin their journey without all the paperwork and special schools. Today, if you aren't chosen by a professor or government office, a special permit is needed if you plan on traveling the whole region by yourself if you're under sixteen." Grace sighed before taking a bite of her oatmeal. She looked weary as she looked at her son. Arianna could see that she was missing something. "Those regulations were put into place to protect the children from what happened during those wars."

"What happened?"

"Child soldiers," Marcus supplied when Grace flinched at Calem's question. "Both sides brainwashed young Trainers into fighting battles that would make a veteran sick. When those children got back, they weren't the same." Marcus had a grimace, as he tightened his hands around his bowl. Small cracks were beginning to form from where he was putting pressure on the plastic vessel. "Those kids went through Hell."

"I remember Blue saying that many of the previous Gym Leaders and League Elites came up with those. They even asked for help from the professors," Blue-grey eyes fell to the floor. Now things made sense, to a point. The warnings that her brothers always gave her when she played on the mountain or in the woods, " _Be careful of strangers, especially those who talk to themselves._ " She just marked it as being overprotective, but now… "The new laws were put in place when they were thirteen. It took a while for people to adjust, he told me. Namely the 'Death Clause'."

"That was a precaution for the Gym Leaders and others to put a limit on their strengths. The harshness of the war made people rethink killing a Pokémon during an official battle." Grace nodded after she spoke. She reached over, noticing how the Kanto Trainer jumped slightly, before ruffling tea green hair. She got a small squeak before turning to her next victim, her son. He let out a surprised "Hey," before laughter soon replaced his surprise. It was nice to see her son almost back to normal, though there were times that she would catch him with a far off gaze. Yet those were few and far between with Arianna around.

"Let us go back to the house. We need to fix breakfast for the others," the older woman got up, grabbing the basket as the green-haired female picked up the empty bowls. Both Kai and Seraph followed her, the Eevee riding on her shoulder while Kai hobbled after her. The action showed Grace how strong the bond that the Pokémon had with their human.

Marcus grabbed Calem's arm before the male could follow the two women into the house, shaking his head and pointing to where Jamie and Duke were staring up at him. He didn't need to be told twice.

"How are you enjoying your time here, Arianna?"

"It's different from the others, but a good different."

"That's good, dear. I'm sure that your family must be glad that you're making friends."

"They both are." Arianna smiled as she remembered the conversation she had with her brothers on her second day there. They happened to be in the same room when she told them about meeting Silver and Calem. Blue was happy for his little sister making friends with the people there, Red expressed his joy differently, a little quirk of the head. Both supported the redhead's decision to have her challenge the Gym Leaders, saying that it would do her some good. She told them that she was thinking on it. "My brothers are happy for me," Arianna moved to help Grace in the kitchen, grabbing a simple green apron to cover her clothing. "They want me to send their thanks for looking out for me while I'm here."

"They didn't need to, I'm happy to do it." Grace pulled the girl into a one armed hug, making sure to not hold her tightly. Grace had known that Arianna had some issues with human contact, so she tried to accommodate the younger to the best of her ability. She had noticed from her strange behavior when her son had brought his guest into the house, but there were small instances where she flinched when someone got too close.

"They still want to say thanks," Arianna returned the hug awkwardly, having not been used to such contact with others beside her family. But she was slowly coming to accept the hugs and ruffles that the racer was used to giving out to her son, and now to her.

When Grace let go, it was to finish getting breakfast ready. Arianna was grateful to have something to do, keeping her mind off of other things. The morning had started out with depressing thoughts, but she wasn't going to let it stay that way.

When afternoon rolled around, Grace had sent the green haired girl up to the attic to fetch some old cook books that the older woman wanted to show her. Calem was outside helping Marcus and the ranch hands with whatever the foreman needed to be done. Grace had Arianna help out when she needed her, otherwise she had free reign to wander around the ranch and even into the town.

The attic was dusty, given the fact that hardly anyone went up there, but it was organized and well-lit with the last of the sun's rays. The light was making the dust glow with that golden glow that came with the late afternoon. It reminded of her how the other parts of the house were; warm, inviting, and welcoming. Arianna looked around until she found the corner that Grace said was where they were stored. They were near the window, on a top box that was labeled 'home cooking'. As she walked over to it, something caught her eye. A black clippie, decorated in various rhinestones, was placed next to a photo of a group of children, one of them looked like a younger Calem, arms around a pretty blond girl and an orange haired boy. All of them were smiling at whoever was taking the picture. A brunette girl was attached to the blond, while raven haired boy was behind the others. In the background stood the ranch, with the same golden light of the late sun. Arianna wondered who the others were, seeing how close each of them were to each other. It caused her heart to ache the slightest bit at the sight. They all were happy, but that wasn't what made the pain in her chest, it was the fact that she never got to make friends like Calem did. She was different from everyone else. A painful fact that made it all the more apparent as she stood on the outside, looking in.

 **Chapter End**

 **Please Review!**


	4. Chapter 4: Connections

**AUTHOR'S Note: I do NOT own. This is an idea that I had a while ago. The only thing I own is the plot and Arianna.**

So sorry for taking so long to update. I didn't mean to, Life just loves to throw you some curve balls. Anyways, enjoy.

 **Chapter 3: Connections**

Days passed by since Arianna found the photo in the attic. She wanted to ask who was in the photo with Calem, but she didn't have the heart to ask. There were several photos around the house of the others, but none of the blond. Curiosity was growing each time the opportunity came up to ask about the girl, but she never got the courage.

Soon a week and a half had passed since she had come to the ranch. Marcus had taken time to teach her things around the ranch, showing her all kinds of tricks and whatnot for the care of the Rhyhorn. It was hard work, but Arianna enjoyed it. Doing something, helping out, reminded her of the times she was with her adoptive grandfather on his much larger, and more general, ranch and the few times that she assisted White at the Pokémon Preserve. The hard work didn't faze her; it even gave her a small sense that she was accomplishing something with her gifts. Many of the ranch hands would stop and talk to her when they had free time, mostly at dinnertime. They all had questions about the regions that she traveled, though it was only two besides her home, but none of them cared. Calem seemed interested in her tales as well, though he didn't ask her as many as the others.

There were a few times that she had caught him staring off into space, but when ever she called him out on it, he just brushed her to the side. She so desperately wanted to question the boy over the photo in the attic, but something was telling Arianna that his daydreaming and the girl in the photo were linked somehow.

About mid-afternoon near her second week there, a group of teens walked up to the house, laughing and talking, not taking any notice of the girl who was up on the roof with a Charizard behind her. It was in her free time, so that meant that she was spending time with her starter up on his roof perch, smiling as he told his human how he was enjoying the warm acceptance that the other humans were giving his precious Trainer. Seraph was off somewhere exploring the woods near the house. Thanks to her position up high, Arianna noticed them right away, even from a distance. It was hard not to, when she had been thinking about them since she saw the photo. In the lead was the brunette, her hair done up in pigtails, dressed in a plain pink shirt and blue jean shorts with sneakers. Beside her was the orange-haired boy, dressed in a white button-down, forest green sweater-vest, khakis, and dress shoes. He didn't seem to interact much with the other two, since he had his head in a book, yet he followed the girl with much ease. The tallest of the three was a raven with a swirl on the top of his head, dressed in a black t-shirt with a slogan that Arianna couldn't read from where she was at, short that barely covered his knees, with sneakers. He was the one who spotted the green-haired girl on the roof before the others did.

"Hello," he called out to her when her eyes met his. His friends followed his gaze, seeing her for the first time. All three of them began waving at her. The Kanto trainer couldn't make out what they were saying until it was too late. Her foot twisted, causing her to slip on the uneven tiles. If not for Kai being there, she would have likely fallen off and killed herself. Once she was safely in his arms, the Charizard flapped his wings a few times, taking off to land in front of the trio.

"Are you alright? We didn't mean to scare you. I'm so sorry," the brunette girl ran up to her, a worried expression on her face. Her expression changed for a brief second, when she got closer, but it was too quick for Arianna to see.

"I'm fine, just a little winded. You don't need to apologize." Arianna nodded to the shorter girl as she dusted off herself from the near tumble to the Earth. She was reminded of Iris, one of the Trainers she met while in Unova. They were about the same height and skin color, though the former champion was a bit darker and her eyes were of a deep maroon with a violet tint to her hair.

"But you could have been hurt…" before the shorter girl could say another word, Kai snorted. The large flying type wouldn't have let anything happen to his precious human, not on his watch, and he felt insulted that the small human girl had insinuated that he couldn't. But instead of roasting the girl like he wanted to, he let her know that he was offended by snorting. 'Ari is precious to me; I won't let her get hurt. Ever.' If the small human girl could have heard him, she would have heard the hurt pride in his tone, along with a declaration of adoration towards his Trainer. Despite being prideful, Kai adored Arianna and took great care to keep her safe. He would admit it out loud every chance he got; pride could take a back seat if it meant that Kai got his message across, **'My human'**.

"Kai wouldn't let me get hurt, not if he can help it." Arianna soothed the younger's worries. She gave a slight smile at her as she looked at the other two. She had blushed slightly at Kai's comment, knowing full well what her partner Pokémon had meant. He had loyalty and love in spades when it came to the green haired girl, since they had practically grew up together. He was almost like her third brother, but with the ability to fry anyone who made her cry. Glancing around at the three teens, all of them looked just like their picture in the attic, but something was off, something in their eyes. "He takes pride in his strength, or anything he can do, for that matter. He's a good partner." The Charizard nodded his head as he walked from behind his Trainer.

"I'm Shauna, by the way. I'm a friend of Calem's." She pointed to herself before pointing over her shoulder to the orange haired boy, who gripped his book to his chest, trying hard not to stare at the towering Pokémon. "That's Trevor, he's shy around new people," next was the boy who had shouted at Arianna before she nearly fell of the roof. He had a hand behind his head, looking sheepish, "And that's Tierno." The green haired girl nodded to the both of them with the same small smile that she had given Shauna.

"I'm Arianna, and this is Kai. I don't know where my other Pokémon ran off to, but she's probably taking a nap in a sunny patch near the house. You can meet her later." She noticed the look of excitement that passed through the trio at the mention of another Pokémon. She never could understand that excitement; it was a foreign concept to her. She grew up around all kinds of Pokémon, though grew up sounded hollow. Arianna was missing six years of her life, something that always made her question why.

"Are you related to Calem?" Tierno looked the blue-eyed Trainer up and down, noticing that she was wearing worn out boots, a light grey sweater underneath an orange work suit that was one size too big. He didn't see any resemblance, but who was he to judge.

"I'm not, in fact. I'm actually from the Kanto region." She showed them her travel permit, which was signed by her adoptive grandfather, Professor Oak. It was a small card with the logo of the Earth that was separated like it was a poke ball and a pair of golden wings on both sides. In a neat print was her name with her ID number, the address of her hometown, a current picture of her, and her and Grandpa Oak's signature. Normally, a poke-dex would be used as a form of identification, when one was traveling within their home region, but when traveling abroad, one needed a permit, like the one that she was carrying. There was a separate card for actual Trainers who challenged the gyms or who liked to battle, one that was directly linked to a personal bank account that held that trainer's money. Arianna had both of them, but her Trainer card only worked in the Sinnoh region, since her mentor set it up for her in order to have her train in using their special ability. If she were really thinking about taking Silver up on his challenge, then Arianna would need to register for Kalos.

"From where the Pokémon Master is?" That caught Trevor's attention, though his voice was a little on the soft side. Arianna nodded, giving him a small, warm smile as she remembered her brothers.

"He's the one who raised me." The trio let out one collective gasp, before looking at her with admiration in their eyes. All at once they began to ask her questions, at the same time. On the outside, Arianna was frozen in place, but on the inside, she was panicking. They had moved so close to her, in the blink of an eye, getting up into her personal space. If she was uncomfortable in an elevator, having three people suddenly appear and crowd around her terrified her.

"Guys," a male voice shouted from above them, making the trio turn their head up at the shout, while Kai took the distraction to his advantage to grab his Trainer and pull her behind him.

Calem shouldn't have been surprised that his friends had showed up at his house when he told them that he would meet them at the café in the next town over. And he shouldn't have been surprised to see them surround his guest, but he was. Because they were known for not following directions, namely when either Shauna or…Serena were involved. "I told you all to wait for me in Aquacorde. Why are you here instead of there?" Calem asked once he dismounted from his borrowed Salamence from Professor Sycamore.

Three heads turned to where Arianna was being protected by her glaring protector to where Calem dismounted. "We heard that a foreigner was staying with you and wanted to meet her." Shauna gave him her brightest smile as she left Arianna's side to run towards him.

"And now we've gone and scared her," Trevor walked Calem's way, wary of the Charizard's glare. Tierno as well, moved away from the Fire-type. Anyone would, giving that the fact was that Kai was giving all of them, save for Calem, a death glare worthy of an Absol. It put the Kalos Trainer on edge.

"Arianna grew up differently than us. She's not used to people crowding her." Calem explained as he watched his younger friends eyes go wide at that small bit of information. He had figured that out when he saw her reaction to the interior of the lab and while he was taking her to the jeweler that many of the assistants used. She had a look of pure discomfort as she tried to avoid people in general, relaxing only when they went into the almost dead shop. "Be careful next time, okay?" Calem sighed, he knew they meant well, but what if he wasn't there to stop them from getting too close. Kai might have attacked them in earnest rather than try out his death-scowl.

'Ari, do you want to go back up on the roof?' Kai looked behind him, noticing the small tremors on her shoulders.

Arianna shook her head; she needed to calm her racing heart. Remembering the meditation technique that her mentor taught her, she closed her eyes and let it all go. Her senses expanded just beyond her hearing and her smell. The Kanto Trainer could feel the life in all things around her; she could also sense the inner lights of her surroundings. Riley called them Auras, the spiritual energy in all living things. Kai was in front of her, bright and strong, a comforting presence. Calem was next, not nearly as bright her long time companion, but he still shined bright in her mind's eye. The younger teens were all meshed together, making one bright Aura, but Arianna could tell who was who. Shauna had the largest amount of pink. Trevor was an ocean blue and just as calm while Tierno was a mix of lavender and sky blue. Each one of them were vastly different, but at the same time, seeing those people, and Pokémon, it created a vision that normal people couldn't see, a harmony of colors that offered her just a small amount of assurance. She could do it; the green-haired girl could make friends with others in her age group. And she was would.

Late morning sunlight filtered over the rooftops of the houses in Camphrier Town, raising the temperature just slightly in the last vestiges of summer and into early fall. A redheaded male was walking out of Pokémon Center, having changed his trench coat for a shorter, lightweight cotton sports coat of a deep navy blue. The Kanto Trainer was looking around to spot his recent traveling companion, knowing that the younger had left the Center while he was taking a call from the local Pokémon Researcher. Not to far off, a hooded figure was seated on the edge of the fountain, a beat up rucksack at his feat. The redhead knew that this was his companion, because he would be the one to wear a hood to cover his face, even in the bright sunlight of the day.

Silver began to walk over to where his traveling companion was seated, who was speaking to a small Pichu almost as if it were a real person. It had been a few weeks since he had seen his supposed charge, and from what the professor said from over the Holo-caster, she was doing just fine at Calem's home. He didn't like the small gleam that appeared in the raven's eyes, a secret that only the Professor knew. As he approached his hooded companion, he couldn't help but think about the similarities between the green haired Trainer that he had met a few years ago and the even younger female version. He could sense a story there, one that probably would drive Kotone nuts if she were here. At that thought, his mood soured quickly.

He didn't want to admit it, but the redhead was starting to miss her meddling in with his training. Yet he schooled himself as he reminded himself why he left to travel the world in the first place. It all laid in the fact that he had no normal human connections due to his former motto of "the weak are not needed." Kotone showed him just how wrong he was. Silver saw her connect with both people and Pokémon to form a bond of trust that left him in the dust one too many times. And it didn't help that he had developed a huge crush on her after her losing match against the Kanto Pokémon Master. He knew that because of his faults in trusting others, he couldn't even trust himself to not hurt her in any form or fashion.

As Silver got closer, he caught the tale end of whatever conversation that the other traveler was saying to his small mouse-like partner. "I know that you want to go back, but we can't. Not yet." The hooded figure had a higher voice that Silver, but his voice was defiantly male, even when the other was soft spoken. Glancing over in the direction that Silver was coming from, the hooded figure stood up from where he was seated, bluish-grey locking into storm-grey. Now that the older male thought about it, those were the same colored eyes that Arianna and N shared, those these were closer to Arianna's, a faint light shinning in them yet slightly shielded by glasses, since N's had a coldness in them similar to mistreated Pokémon that Silver had seen during his travels. It pained the Kanto Trainer to see that his Pokémon could have turned out like that due to his inability to understand kindness and trust. Another thing that he was grateful to his brunette crush for. Making him understand that there was hardly a difference between people and Pokémon.

"Ready to head out?" Silver looked the other over, noticing that his hoodie was plain black with loose fitting jeans and sneakers that were a little dusty. Around one wrist was several dull square bracelets, with the other covered with a dark grey wristband with a poke ball stitched in the center of it. Looking back on it, he wondered if he could uncover the identity of the other traveler, but when he really thought about it, it didn't really matter. Everyone was entitled to their secrets, even mysterious people who collapse in the middle of deserts without proper gear. "I've finished gathering intel. There's a sandstorm blocking the way into the Badlands. The storm is really strong at the moment, so the government is sending out warnings not to go anywhere near it right now."

"Its highly suspicious that the sandstorm started up around the time that the blackout occurred," the other hummed as he tried to look thoughtful.

"Not as suspicious as the man that showed up that warned the people in the nearby town about the on coming storm."

"You don't think…" the other began to say, but was cut off. "Don't go there, Neo." Silver said the other's name with a bit of a commanding tone to reign in the other's train of thought. Neo had a problem of thinking the worst of people. A trait that Silver knew all to well. Neo nodded his head. Silver saw the flinch at his tone but didn't say anything.

Silver had a nagging feeling that "Neo" was related to Arianna and N, another sibling that no one had heard of. His ability to speak to Pokémon was the same, but he had chosen to hide his face. He had the same colored eyes, but then again White had a variant of the color. All the pieces fit, so that was one of the more logical assumptions.

"We'll go to the nearest town, should take a few weeks, and investigate from there. Got it?" Silver narrowed his eyes into a semi-glare to make sure that he wasn't misunderstood. He wanted to keep an eye the other to see if his theory was correct, but also because he didn't want to loose sight of the man that just might be able to take Arianna off his hands when she comes looking for him. That is if they were related at all.

Suddenly, this journey didn't seem so egotistical anymore. And he was okay with that.

 **Chapter End**


End file.
